HAMPSHIRE DREW WITH YORKSHIRE AFTER CLOSING ON 366-8, HAVING BEING SET 443 TO WIN

Points: Hampshire (9), Yorkshire (9)

Nic Pothas and Stuart Clark batted out the last 14 overs of the match as Hampshire held on for a tense draw with Yorkshire.

Nine fielders crowded the bat as the shadows lengthened during the final over from teenage leg spinner Adil Rashid, but Pothas (76* from 124 balls) and Clark (3* from 23 balls) batted without alarm on a wicket that had flattened out as the match progressed.

At one stage, Jimmy Adams looked set to revive memories of his heroics at Headingley 11 months ago, when he scored 168* as Hampshire became the first county to successfully chase more than 400 to beat Yorkshire at Leeds.

But when he went for 90 (188 balls, 14 fours) and Chris Benham followed four overs later, Hampshire's hopes of recording the second-biggest successful chase in the county's history suffered a major setback.

And once Warne was dismissed for a run-a-ball 33, Hampshire, needing 107 to win from 14 overs with two wickets remaining, settled for a share of the spoils against the early championship leaders.

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After getting rid of Michael Brown with a brute of a ball last night (12-1), Jason Gillespie uprooted the off stump of nightwatchman James Bruce (4) in the third over this morning (22-2).

But John Crawley showed Hampshire's intent by sweeping a six over mid-wicket in Adil Rashid's third over. He was fortunate not to be caught by a diving Darren Gough in attempting a repeat.

Adams (108 balls, eight fours) and Crawley (95 balls, five fours, one six)reached fifty in successive overs, the first from part-time leg spinners Jacques Rudolph and Younus Khan.

But Crawley (50)was well caught by Rudolph at silly point, after playing forward to Younus Khan's third ball during the penultimate over of the morning session (119-3).

LUNCH: HAMPSHIRE WERE 119-3 (ADAMS 51*, LUMB 3*)

Younus Khan followed up his double hundred with two big wickets in three overs during the afternoon session.

Bowling leg spin from the Pavilion End, he had more joy than Adil Rashid, dismissing Jimmy Adams and Chris Benham (5) as Yorkshire gained a stranglehold.

Adams had looked set for his first ton of the season when he carved Rashid for a boundary off the back foot before hitting Tim Bresnan out of the attack by pulling and then cover driving him for four in successive overs.

But he was beaten by a leg break that spat out of the rough and took him by surprise as he gloved the ball to Anthony McGrath at first slip (198-4).

And as the required run rate crept above a-run-a-ball for the first time four overs later, Chris Benham was caught at first slip as he drove at a leg break (208-5).

TEA: HAMPSHIRE WERE 245-5 (LUMB 44*, POTHAS 20*)

After reaching his maiden first-class fifty (107 balls) for Hampshire against his former county shortly after the interval, Michael Lumb (57)was caught at silly point by Jacques Rudolph to become Younus Khan's fourth victim (265-6).

And when Rudolph held onto another chance for Rashid to claim the wicket of Sean Ervine (14), the draw looked the best that Hampshire, and the incoming Shane Warne, could hope for (286-7).

But that did not stop Hampshire's captain begin a run-a-ball cameo by cracking Younus Khan for successive fours through mid wicket in the next over.

After seeing Nic Pothas reach fifty (64 balls), Warne (33 from 34 balls) pulled Gillespie for his seventh four before edging to Rudolph, who held on to his fourth catch of the innings at first slip in the sixth over with the second new ball, and with 14 remaining (336-8).

But Pothas and Clark ensured that Yorkshire were denied victory for the first time this season.

There ended a compelling four days. When the sides next meet at Headingley in the last week of the season, they may well be playing for the championship.

Yorkshire bowling: Hoggard 11-2-30-0, Gillespie 14-3-44-3, Rashid 33-4-126-1, Bresnan 7-1-42-0, Gough 15-4-33-0, McGrath 6-2-15-0, Rudolph 1-0-8-0, Younus Khan 18-4-52-4